Article accumulator



Oct. 28, 1958 H. M. ADAMS 2,858,010 7 ARTICLE ACCUMULATOR Filed April 2, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR HARRY M ADAMS ATTdRNEYS Oct. 28, 1958 H. M. ADAMS 2,858,010

ARTICLE ACCUMULATOR Filed April 2, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 02 as 70 as I I M \v 15a I I I K 7s 1 80 7", l I 1 04 154 Wu I52 as 24 '5' 2s 32 g a 1 I I IYNVENTOR HARRY M. ADAMS ATTbRNEYs 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 2, 1953 22 @M m T N U 0 C a mm Ma T D F 4 M. M a I E m m M m 6 A M M II 4 m F INVENTOR HARRY M. ADAMS wawm CLUTCH SOLENOID ATTORNEYS atent Chic 2,858,010 Patented Oct. 28, 1958 ARTICLE ACCUMULATOR Harry M. Adams, Berkley, Mich., assignor, by mesne assignments, to the United States of America as repre sented by the Secretary of the Navy Application April 2, 1953, Serial No. 346,306

8 Claims. (Cl. 198-40) This invention relates to devices for feeding articles by mechanical means into a magazine.

Although the accumulator disclosed herein has general application and utility, it has been designed to be used in the process disclosed and claimed in copending application, Serial No. 324,160, filed December 4, 1952 by Robert L. Henry, now Patent No. 2,771,663, patented November 27, 1956.

An object of the invention is to provide means for directing a flow of flat, frangible articles over a plunger that intermittently raises to elevate the article thereover for reception into a magazine or the like, together with means for counting the number of articles so displaced so that when a predetermined number of articles are handled by the plunger, the magazine is moved to another position for further filling. Added to this, it is an object of the invention to prevent the plunger and certain other parts of the accumulator from operating during the time that the magazine is moving from one position to another.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide an article accumulator with a slide that moves a single article into the path of travel of a reciprocating plunger, the latter serving as an elevator to raise the article into an awaiting container, and to provide means located in the path of article travel which guide the article as well as maintain it in exactly the correct position on the plunger, the last mentioned means being used as a trigger for the counting mechanism mentioned above.

Other objects and features will become apparent in following the description of the illustrated form of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the accumulator.

Fig. 1a is a perspective view of an escapement device of the accumulator.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 22 of Fig. l and in the direction of the arrows, some parts being shown in elevation.

Fig. 3. is a side view of the accumulator with portions broken away to show internal structure, and

Fig. 4 is a schematic view showing some of the wiring and mechanical arrangement of the accumulator.

A support is suitably constructed to maintain the working parts of the article accumulator so that the accumulator may be considered a single unit capable of being secured to and operationally integrated with other devices which handle and perform various operations on the articles assembled by the accumulator. Drive shaft 12 is adapted to be actuated by a power source and to illustrate the intended connection thereto, shaft 12 is provided with a key 14 at the lower end thereof. Antifriction bearing 16 disposed in a bore 18 of support 10 mounts drive shaft 12 for rotation, and means, such as hollow cap 20, maintain the bearing 16 in place on a shoulder within the bore 18. The upper end of shaft 12 has a pilot opening 22 in it to accommodate driven shaft 24, the lower end of which is fitted with a one-way clutch element 26 of the toothed type that is normally in engage ment with the teeth 28 on the drive shaft 12 near the pilot opening 22. The clutch element 26, teeth 28, together with spring 30 reacting on clutch element 26 constitute a one-way clutch 32 adapted to releasably couple together the shafts 12 and 24. This function is realized inasmuch as the clutch element 26 is slidable longitudinally on shaft 24, but in precluded from rotating thereon by a key 36 in keyways of element 26 and driven shaft 24.

Attention is now invited to Figs. 1, 1a and 3 which show the first use of driven shaft 24 and that is to provide operating force to an escapement device 38 in an inclined article track 40. The track side wall has a pair of spaced guideways 42 and 44, see Fig. 1a, in it to accommodate stops 46 and 48 which are slidably disposed therein. Each stop has a pin rising from its upper surface, the pins fitting in slots 50 and 52 that are formed in a rocker 54 carried by the escapement block. Two pins 56 and 58 depend from rocker 54, and a lug 60 on link 62 fits therebetween. The link is pivoted between its ends to a mounting bracket 64, and is biased in one direction by a spring 66 that is connected to the link 62 and bracket 64.

A hammer 68 is fixed to a horizontally reciprocable slide 70 and strikes one end of link 62 causing it to energize spring 66 and actuate the rocker 54 which controls the location of stops 46 and 48 in the track. When the hammer returns, the energized spring returns the link 62 causing the stops 46 and 48 to be actuated again. There is a metering action of articles by the stops as they operate, allowing only a single article to pass through the track 40 for each reciprocation of slide 70. Slide 70 is actuated by rotation of driven shaft 24 through the working of a cam follower 72 on cam 74 which is fixed to the upper end of shaft 24. The follower 72 depends from an arm 76 that is pivoted to a part of support 10, and the arm has a bifurcated end 78 in which a pin 80 rides, the latter being fixed to slide 70. Spring 82 is secured to the arm 76 and a part of the support and functions to keep the follower 72 riding on its cam 74 at all times.

Parallel guides 86 on the sides of slide 70, operable in guideways 87 provided in support 10 constrain the motion of slide 76 and permit only reciprocatory movement of the slide. As described, hammer 68 is located near or at one end of slide 70, and the opposite end of it has an upwardly opening article pocket 90 movable to a position at the discharge end of the track 40 (Fig. 3) to accept single,

articles as they are allowed, by the escapement 38, to pass through the track. Article pocket 90 has horizontal shoulders (unnumbered) therein to receive and retain an article, and after an article is received in the pocket 90, the slide moves to a position over a means for elevating the article to ultimately push it into the bottom of a magazine M located above the support 16.

The article lifting or elevating means includes a plunger 92 operable in a support bore 94 having its longitudinal axis at right angles to the path of travel of the slide 70. Yielding means, as spring 98, are disposed in bore 94 and seat on the adjustable bore closure 1% and the lower part' ofthe plunger. The spring 98 is normally held under a compression load which upon release, moves the plunger upwardly through an opening 102 in the slide at the bottom of the pocket 90, thereby lifting the article from the pocket. It is appreciated that the actuation of the plunger has to be timed with the operation of slide 70 and, therefore, the shaft 24 is used to govern the instant of release and return of plunger 92.

Directly below an anti-friction bearing 104 that mounts driven shaft 24 for rotation, there is a cam 166 on a camwheel 107 that is keyed or otherwise fixed to driven shaft 24. A cam follower 108 (Fig. 3) is secured to the plunger 92 and is in contact with the cam 1.06 thereby l restrictingthemovementofthe plunger 92 to a functionofthe position-ofshaft24; the-same beingtrue of the slide 70 and escapement 38. An anti-rotation feature is provided for the plunger 92, and consists of a flat 110 'on-5the shank of the'plunger that ride s against apart;

lli of support Guiderhe-ansare provided on thesupport=10 at the pl-ace where' the plunger 92:elevates the articles; the-guidemeans being for' the purpose of; retaining the article" centered on-the plunger head; The guide'means 'consistoffour-identical assemblies, each including a mounting block, as-at' 120" in Fig. 3-, provided with a passage 122 in which the stem 124 of a, guide member is movable; A- small spring' 126"lightly;;biases the-guide member toward the'pl-unger 92; andfa limit'pin'128 carried by block 120'.

and operable in' a' sl otin the"stem-12}4 prevents overtravel in'eitherdirection of movement of'the guide member; The foot 130 of the guide memberhasa cam surface on oneside thatis 'con ta'ctedby'an-edge of'the article as itpasses throughthenest-offour guide assemblies, smoothlydisplacing the'guide members thereofagainst their springs126.

A switch 1321s disposed adjacent to one of the guide assemblies and is actuated (closed) each time that the guide'member nearest to it is actuated. Switch132 consists ofa screw 134"carried' by an insulating bar 136 fastenedto blocks 138 which are secured to support 10. The inner end of screw'134'supports' a spring 140 that is. disposed'in the passage 122, and each'time that the guide member therein'is displaced'by an article riding over its catni surface, theguide mernber, which is grounded to the support 10,,contacts spring 140;thereby closing switch 1325 Upon return'of'the' guide member under consideration'; switchj12 is0pened; Switch'132is electrically. connected to at counter. 142; (Big; 4) capable of being set manually, and. the counter, energizes a motor 144' through a'i time de ay, relay. 146. Motor 144 maybe electrical; or a fluid m ot'or may'be' substituted in which,

the lever148'has a yoke that'contactsthe lower surface of flange 150 on clutch element 26, andthe opposite end of the lever is contacted by a push rod 152 carried by.

the support 10. The push rod 152' is actuated by the armature l54 of a solenoid 156. mounted on a bracket 158jthat is'secured to the support 10. As seen in Fig, 4, solenoid-156 is actuated through an impulse of the counter through appropriate wiring atthesame time, that the motor 1'44js energized.

Operation As discussed in the referred to copending application, ceramic wafers. about oner sixteenth of an'inchthick and less I than at square inch in. planform are handled by the accumulator.-- By mechanical" means they are fed into tra1ck40 wheresthey-are..metered by the, described action ofythe escapement device 38-. However, escapementdevice 38. is:timed-,with the motion of the. slide 70 because the,;lihk .62.thatoperates the stops of the escapement 38 is put in motion. bya hammer on the slide 70. Until. the momentthat; the slide .is insuch position. in its. reciprocatory travelvthat the. article pocket 90 is at the,

discharge-end of the. track=40, theescapement device 38 will not operate:

When an article is deposited in pocket 90 the slide, due to thezshape of cam 74,,begins to move toward the end of the support 10'that contains plunger 92. There must be; exact-timing, of the plunger operation and slide 70 becauseathexplunger. must. pass through. the Opening. 102

in: slide, .70'that is, almost. the-z same. size; as.- the; plunger.-

head that passes through it. This precise timing is obtained by usingthe driven shaft' 24" to' actuate" the slide" and also release the plunger. Accordingly, as the shaft 24 rotates to reciprocate the slide, the cam 106 rides over plunger follower 108, holding plunger spring 98 compressed until the slide opening 102 is directly above the plunger 92. Then, the cam.t10(ri has reached a point where it falls away sharply, r eleasing the plunger 92 to permit the spring -98to push itthrough-the article pocket 90, pick-ing up; theartififi frorn' the pocket.- Immediately thereafter and beforesthe slide 70 b'eginsto,return, cam 106, due to its shape, returns the plunger, again. cornpressing spring 98 inpreparation of another cycle of operation of "the plunger The magazine intotwhich the articles; are fed will be located above the plunger. It is fed from the bottom to minimize jambing of articles therein, as is the case when articles of the dimensions mentioned hereinare gravity fed into a magazine-tube only slightly larger than thearticles. In addition, the magazine may contain a plu-- rality of article tubfes; and'whenone is filled; say ltfhOldS one hundred articles, the magazine must be rotateda few degreesto move-the next empty magazine tube over the plunger; Thus, the-counter- 142 ismanually set'for" one hundred articles, whereby-'when'the switch 132is; actuated one hundred times, the counter is triggered sendingan' impulse, delayedf'by relay 146, to the motor, 144. At thesame time the escapement and slide are momentarilystopped" by-the release ofclutch 32 throughoperationofthe solenoid 156'. A'different-settingof-the counter 142*comp letely-stops the escapement and-slide when all of the magazine tubes arefilled.

Itis apparent that various modificationsmaybe made without departing frorn the scope of the following claims.

The invention; described herein may 1 be manufactured and used byor for the Government of the United States t m ri ai r o rnme i a pu pnse h' n ment of any royalties thereon or therefor,

What is claimed'is": I

1. An accumulator for. fiat, frangible articles compris: ing a support, a drive shaft in said supportpa driven shaft, a clutch drivingly,connecting said'shafts, an article slidecarried b'y saidsupport and having an article poclget therein, means connected with. said slide and'said driven. shaft and' responsive to rotationofthe latter for re: ciprocating. said slide, means timed with theactuationof said: slide for lifting antarticle. from. the pocket'in said slide at one point in the reciprocatory travel of said slide, a guide for the article and carried by said support above said slide, a counter; actuated by'said guide,andj means triggered by. saidlcounterfor. actuating said' clutch to dis; connect said shafts in response to a selected number-of, operations. of. said guide. i

2.111. an. accumulator-for articles, a. support, a slide. mounted on said support and having an article pocket, u the. pocket havingan opening in its bottom, means timed with 'actuationofj said. slide for placing a single article in said pocketover. said opening means carried bysaid support and operatively, connected with said slide for ree ciprocating, said slide, aLplungen arranged with, its axis oftranslation normalto the path of motion of, said slide, means reacting.,.on, said plunger constantly urging the plunger. in one direction, means timed with. the operation of said slide fonreleasing said plunger. at the instant that. the. plungen is directly. belowthe. opening in the bottom. of; the-article pockets: so that the plunger lifts; thearticle.fromsaid pocket, andmovable guide members I disposed abovesaidslide to retain the article centered on the plungerafter the plunger; lifts; the.articlefrom said pocket; an electricalcounter, means operatively connected. with oneof said' guide members for counting the number;- of times that said plunger elevates an article through said movable. guide members, a: clutch arranged .to disengage said articleiplacing. means,--,and;1means energizednby. rsaidg counter for actuatinggsaidzclutchg.

3. In an accumulator for articles, a support, a slide mounted on said support and having an article pocket, the pocket having an opening in its bottom, means timed with the actuation of said slide for placing a single article in said pocket over said opening, means carried by said support and operatively connected with said slide for reciprocating said slide, a plunger arranged with its axis of translation normal to the path of motion of said slide, means reacting on said plunger constantly urging the plunger in one direction, means timed with the operation of said slide for releasing said plunger at the instant that the plunger is directly below the opening in the bottom of the article pocket so that the plunger lifts the article from said pocket, guide members carried by said support, at least one of said guide members being movable in a plane parallel to the path of movement of said slide, resilient means opposing the movement of said movable guide member, and a counter actuated by the movement of said movable guide member.

4. An accumulator for placing a plurality of articles into a magazine through an opening in the bottom thereof, said accumulator comprising a support, a inclined track carried thereby, an escapement device controlling the passage of articles over said track, a slide mounted for reciprocatory movement on said support and located at the discharge end of said track, an upwardly opening article pocket in said slide to receive an article when said pocket is at said discharge end of the track, said escapement device including a rocker, means fixed to said slide and engageable with said rocker to actuate the rocker whereby said escapement is actuated at such time that the article pocket is in a predetermined position relative to said track discharge end, said slide having an opening in the bottom of its pocket, a plunger operable through said slide opening to elevate the article in the pocket, and means for actuating said slide and said plunger in timed sequence.

5. An accumulator for placing a plurality of articles into a magazine through an opening in the bottom thereof, said accumulator comprising a support, a inclined track carried thereby, an escapement device controlling the passage of articles over said track, a slide mounted for reciprocatory movement on said support and located at the discharge end of said track, an upwardly opening article pocket in said slide to receive an article when said pocket is at said discharge end of the track, said escapement device including a rocker, means fixed to said slide and engageable with said rocker to actuate the rocker whereby said escapement is actuated at such time that the article pocket is in a predetermined position relative to said track discharge end, said slide having an opening in the bottom of its pocket, a plunger operable through said slide opening to elevate the article in the pocket, and means for actuating said slide and said plunger in timed sequence, including a shaft, means having a cam and a pivoted arm operatively connecting said shaft to said reciprocatory movement on said support and located at the discharge end of said track, an upwardly opening article pocket in said slide to receive an article when said pocket is at said discharge end of the track, said escapement device including a rocker, means fixed to said slide and engageable with said rocker to actuate the rocker whereby said escapement is actuated at such time that the article pocket is in a predetermined position relative to said track discharge end, said slide having an opening in the bottom of its pocket, a plunger operable through said slide opening to elevate the article in the pocket, a shaft mounted for rotation in said support, a cam connected thereto, an arm pivoted to said support, means for imparting motion to said arm from rotation of said cam, means connecting the arm to said slide to reciprocate the latter, a spring constantly biasing said plunger toward said slide, and means on said shaft for holding said plunger in such position as to compress said spring and releasing the plunger when it is aligned with said opening in the slide pocket.

7. The accumulator of claim 6 and; a cam surfaced guide for the article on said plunger disposed above said slide, said guide being displaceable by the article on said plunger as it passes through the guide, a counter connected with said guide and operable thereby, and means responsive to said counter for stopping said escapement device and said slide.

8. In an accumulator for articles, a support, a slide mounted on said support and having an article pocket, the pocket having an opening in its bottom, means timed with the actuation of said slide for placing a single article in said pocket over said opening, means carried by said support and operatively connected with said slide for reciprocating said slide, a plunger arranged with its axis of translation normal to the path of motion of said slide, means timed with the operation of said slide for actuating said plunger at the instant that the opening in the bottom of the article pocket is directly above said plunger so that the plunger lifts the article from said pocket, and movable, spring-urged guide members disposed above said slide to retain the article centered on the plunger after the plunger lifts the article from said pocket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 740,735 Blake Oct. 6, 1903 1,467,409 Wilkinson Sept. 11, 1923 1,958,845 Burns May 15, 1934 

